Last week marked the formal establishment of a newly-expanded Nickel Institute, whose members represent over 70% of current world production. The Institute's mandate will be to generate and communicate knowledge required to support safe and sustainable production, use and re-use of nickel. For nickel producers and users it will offer research-based, cutting-edge science and technical information.

"Nickel is the great enabler for modern society but an integrated response is required for the technical and environmental challenges...and that's our mission", said Dr Ivor Kirman, president of the London, England-based industry group.

The Institute provides a single membership and management structure for activities previously undertaken by the Nickel Development Institute (NiDI) and the Nickel Producers Environmental Research Association (NiPERA).

NiPERA, an independent division of the Nickel Institute, will continue to provide peer-reviewed, published information on the human health and environmental science of nickel. The Institute will continue the use-related technical work of NiDI, but will focus more on nickel issues related to stewardship and sustainable development, especially the generation and use of knowledge about the full life-cycle impacts of nickel.

In addition, the new Institute will develop partnerships with organizations representing the interests of the nickel-producing industry's downstream customers and other parts of the nickel life-cycle. It will also collaborate with regional and local metals industry organizations.

Nickel plays an enabling role in many areas of rapidly-changing technology such as transport, energy, architecture, telecommunications, food processing, water treatment, environmental protection and healthcare.